Love Dies Hard
by Tori7
Summary: Roger's former lover comes back with a vengence. How will it effect the Smith household if she becomes a part of their everyday lives again? DR. R&R.
1. Author's Notes

'TIS TORI ONCE AGAIN!   
  
^_^  
  
Hey everybody! I got such a great response on the last story I wrote that I decided it was time to start a new one.   
  
This is about a former fling that Roger had and how it has come back to haunt him.  
  
This should be funny! Please feel free to e-mail me at NeoTori7688@aol.com or to leave a review...I love hearing your ideas!   
  
Thanks and enjoy!  
  
~*Tori*~ 


	2. Flashbacks and Realisms

"How can I marry a man who spends more time with his work than he does with me?" she shouted as she walked to the other side of the room.  
  
There he stood, Roger Smith, a man who had made something of himself by the time he was twenty, a man who had made hundreds of thousands of dollars and a man who had given her everything she ever wanted. He had never deprived her of anything, yet there she stood being as ungrateful as ever!  
  
Roger could feel a tension headache coming on, and he put his hand to his head.  
  
She gathered as much as she could into a large, black suitcase.  
  
"I'll be back for the rest of my things."  
  
"You mean the things I bought you?"  
  
"They were gifts Roger, you can't keep them!"   
  
Roger sighed.  
  
"Fine, take what you want! I DON'T CARE!"   
  
"FINE THEN!" she shouted.   
  
She gave him one final glance before she slammed the door behind her.  
  
He whispered,  
  
"Lalia..."  
  
Roger was suddenly awakened by the piano playing of R. Dorothy Wayneright.  
  
**UGH**  
  
He burst out of his room in his black robe.  
  
"Dorothy, don't you think you could let me sleep in just once?"  
  
The android girl didn't stop playing, she continued just the same, but turned her head to look at him.  
  
"If I let you sleep in, then I would be braking a very important tradition, Roger."  
  
Roger could have sworn she was grinning, but in a flash her face was back to its normal, blank look. Still half asleep, Roger walked back into his room, showered, and got dressed.   
  
When he came out, a piping hot breakfast was awaiting him.  
  
'So I guess this day isn't as horrible as I thought!' Roger thought as he took a bite of his scrambled eggs.  
  
Norman came up the stairs and said with a deep frown,  
  
"Master Roger, you have a young lady downstairs who is demanding to see you."  
  
Roger smirked. Dorothy sat at the other end of the long table.  
  
"See Dorothy? The women can't resist me."  
  
"You're a louse, Roger Smith."  
  
Roger smiled. A louse? Yup! And he was proud of it!  
  
Echoing through the halls came an irritated voice.  
  
"Norman," the voice spoke. "I refuse to wait for Roger Smith! We have some unfinished business!"   
  
Roger nearly choked on his breakfast.  
  
"LALIA?!?!?"  
  
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HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE....so what do you think? I'm looking forward to writing this, I have some good ideas of where this can go. E-mail me at NeoTori7688@aol.com and gimme lots of reviews to let me know what you think. Thanks!  
  
~*Tori*~ 


	3. Sweet Piano

Dorothy sat on the piano bench, still and silent, she listened to the yelling coming from Roger's office.  
  
"Lalia, you left two years ago, you can't come back and assume you can take more stuff! If my memories are correct, which ::they are:: didn't you already come for your things?"  
  
Lalia rolled her eyes.  
  
"Roger, there were a few things I couldn't carry out the front door, for God's sake!"  
  
"Fine, what else do you want?"  
  
"Well, I left behind some underwear..."  
  
"Your underwear has been burned. Next?"  
  
"My microwave, I want that back too!  
  
"These are all things you could have taken with you. Anything else?"  
  
"Yes, as a matter of fact. I want my piano back!"  
  
Roger walked up the stairs, Lalia walking close behind him. Dorothy was playing a soft tune on the piano, and Lalia felt a sudden surge of jealousy. Dorothy stopped playing and stood to greet their guest.  
  
Roger saw the look Lalia was giving Dorothy, and he said,  
  
"Lalia, I would like to introduce you to Miss Dorothy Wayneright. Dorothy, this is Lalia Mannino."  
  
This girl Roger had been arguing with, Lalia, she seemed to be angry. Dorothy noticed her tension. Lalia's long, brown curls were pulled back in a ponytail, but from the looks of the designer clothes she was wearing, she was probably as wealthy as Roger.  
  
Dorothy outstretched her hand politely to shake Lalia's, but she didn't return the favor, she only chuckled.  
  
"Roger," Lalia said smugly. "I can't believe you replaced me so soon. She's so young, so homely! Have you turned soft? You usually only let the beauties into the mansion. Well, I guess from the looks of things, times have severely changed."  
  
Roger decided to ignore the remark, but Dorothy couldn't.  
  
"It seems to me that Roger had feelings for you of a purely sexual nature. Otherwise I cannot see why he'd keep around such an old hag." Dorothy forced a grin onto her face to add a sting to her comments.   
  
Roger's mouth fell open, Norman chuckled quietly, and Lalia squinted her eyes as her skin became red with anger.  
  
"YOU LITTLE...WHY I OUGHTA...**ahem** Roger must have a difficult time controlling you, God knows he couldn't hold me down."  
  
Roger finally thought it would be best to put his two cents in.  
  
"Listen Miss Mannino, Dorothy and I are not together. She's just a very close friend."  
  
"I'm sure she is. Well, I must be going Roger. It was nice seeing you again. Just have them send the piano to my house in east dome number 5."  
  
Dorothy could almost feel a disappointment within her. That was ::her:: piano dammit! What would Lalia do with it anyway? She didn't seem like the type who would play such a delicate instrument.  
  
When Roger came back upstairs, he saw Dorothy running her fingers gently over the keys.   
  
"Are you really going to let her take it, Roger?"  
  
"Dorothy, it's the only way to get her out of our hair."  
  
Roger noticed Dorothy's usual frown deepen.  
  
"Did you love her Roger? Was she your lover?"   
  
"That's a little forward of you to ask, don't you think?"  
  
"If you find it forward it is only because you are afraid to answer."  
  
Roger's eyes widened. He couldn't believe the tone of voice she was using. She sounded...hurt? Damn...she'd cornered him!  
  
::sighs::  
  
"Dorothy, there is a difference between love and...uh...not love. Wait, no, um...a better way to put it is, there is a difference between loving someone and being IN love with someone."  
  
"So you loved her."  
  
"Yes, but I was never ::in:: love with her. Do you understand?"  
  
Dorothy remained silent for a moment.  
  
"Were you sleeping with her?"  
  
Roger was taken back but not shocked by that question. When there was no response, Dorothy guessed that he probably had a relationship of a more sexual nature with Lalia.  
  
"So now she wants her piano back?"  
  
"It's not technically ::her:: piano. I bought it after she said it would look nice in this room. But it was my money that was used to purchase it."  
  
"Then why are you giving it to her? I want you to keep it."  
  
Dorothy looked down at the beautiful, black, piano. Roger saw a gleam of disappointment in her eyes.  
  
"Dorothy," he said. "If it means that much to you, I won't give her the piano."  
  
Roger's eyes met hers, and he could tell she was grateful.   
  
"Thank you."  
  
The next day, Lalia received word that she would not get the piano. After that fight she and Roger had had, Lalia moved back in with her mother. And so as she sat in the living room, looking at old pictures of herself and Roger, she sought comfort in her mother's arms.  
  
"Mom, I think I was a little harsh to that other girl yesterday. I'm just so angry at him!"  
  
Lalia's mother shook her head.  
  
"My dear, Roger may be a louse, but this girl has done nothing wrong. I think you should go back and apologize."  
  
"Maybe..."  
  
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WHAT DO YOU THINK?!?!?? I MUST KNOW!   
  
._.  
  
Ok, e-mail me at NeoTori7688@aol.com and leave lotsa reviews. K? K! THANKS EVERYBODY!  
  
^_^  
  
~*Tori*~ 


	4. Sincere Apologies

Roger had already left for work, Norman was working on Big O, and the house was clean, so Dorothy decided to play the piano. Roger had told her many times that she played exactly like she was: a machine. Sometimes it made her feel inferior, even though she was sure she was smarter than him.  
  
The soft melody poured from her fingers gently. Dorothy closed her eyes and let her hands take control. Just as she began to lose herself to the music, she was interrupted by the sound of the loud doorbell.   
  
Dorothy walked down to the entrance hallway, and standing in front of the elevator waiting for someone to come down was Lalia.   
  
**ugh**  
  
If Dorothy thought there was a purpose for it, she would have sighed. However, looking at Lalia smile, the android girl got the feeling that she had come in peace. They stood silently looking at each other for a moment, when finally Lalia spoke up.  
  
"Ummm....it's Dorothy, right?"  
  
Dorothy thought that she seemed nervous, almost apologetic. So she said with a half smile,  
  
"Why don't we go into the kitchen? I'll make us some tea."  
  
Lalia nodded, and they proceeded into the kitchen. Dorothy put a pot of water on the stove and sat across from Lalia.   
  
******Silence******  
  
"Dorothy," Lalia said, a slight shake in her voice. "I'm no good at apologizing, but I was out of line the other day. I'm sorry, it's not you, I'm just angry and you were the closest thing within my range of insults. Do you forgive me?"  
  
"Yes, I forgive you. What were you angry about?"  
  
"Well, it's been two years since I left Roger. When I saw that another woman had moved in, I kinda went into defensive mode."  
  
"Rest assured Lalia, Roger and I are not together. He negotiated for me, but I have no money since my father is dead. The only way I could repay him is to do work around the house. I clean, but I'm nothing more to him."  
  
Lalia cocked an eyebrow.  
  
"That doesn't sound like Roger at all. He probably just hasn't told you how he feels. He's not good at expressing himself, the whole concept scares him to death!"  
  
"I'm no champion of expression either, but it seems to me that Roger has issues left unsolved concerning you. If you don't mind my asking, what happened between the two of you?"  
  
"No, it's ok, I don't mind at all. What happened was..."  
  
Roger suddenly appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. In his hand was a box, a gift for Dorothy, and his mouth hung open.  
  
"LALIA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING??!?!? LEAVE DOROTHY ALONE!"  
  
"Roger, shut up!" Dorothy yelled over him. He was stunned by the tone of her voice...was she defending Lalia?   
  
'MY GOD,' he thought. 'IT'S A WORLD GONE MAD!!!!!'  
  
"It's all right Roger," Lalia said calmly. "I was just leaving. Dorothy, thanks for everything. We'll take a rain check on that tea, ok? There's a great coffee shop on Main Street, I'll give you a call tomorrow and we'll make plans."  
  
"Yes, that would be nice Lalia. I'll walk you to the door."  
  
As R. Dorothy Wayneright walked out the door with his ex-girlfriend, Roger looked toward the ceiling and said to himself,  
  
"This is a test isn't it? God has got a sick sense of humor!"  
  
Dorothy walked back in to find Roger in the exact same spot, staring at where they had been sitting.  
  
"Roger, are you all right?"  
  
"What the hell was that about?"  
  
"Lalia came by to apologize, so I invited her in. We had some good conversation. What's that in your hand?"  
  
Roger remembered the gift, and he handed it to Dorothy.  
  
"This is for you. I thought maybe...well, if you wanted to, well...I made reservations for the two of us at IL Bartiloto. It's foreign food and the best restaurant in Paradigm."  
  
"I don't have anything to wear Roger."  
  
He smiled.  
  
"Open the box!"  
  
Dorothy gently ripped the paper from the gift. It almost pained her to touch it, he'd obviously gone to great lengths to get it right.   
  
When she lifted the lid off of the box, two tickets to the theater were revealed, and beneath them was a navy-blue, silk dress. She handed Roger the tickets so she could look at it.   
  
When she lifted it out of the box, it flowed to the floor in a swift motion. It was a spaghetti-strap, and the dress itself came up two inches above the knee. The back continued down to the floor in blue lace with rhinestones sewed in. A matching shall and a pair of shoes were lying in the box.  
  
"Do you like it?" Roger said, his eyes a little glazed over.  
  
Dorothy smiled and hugged him.  
  
"This is the most thoughtful thing you have ever done. I love it Roger!"  
  
When they parted, Roger had a huge smile on his face. He then handed her the tickets.  
  
"Les Miserables?"  
  
"It's a beautiful play, you'll love it, I promise! I timed everything so we'll have plenty of time to enjoy our meal before the show. We'll have a great time!"  
  
Dorothy realized that he had forgotten she was an android...she could eat, but she couldn't taste. Oh well, she would fake it.  
  
For him, she would do anything!  
  
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There's another chapter. I like where this is going, don't you? To answer the burning question...THIS IS A D/R STORY! I wouldn't have it any other way. Lalia is nothing more than a hilarious plot twist. E-mail me at NeoTori7688@aol.com and/or leave a review. Thanks, keep reading, more is coming soon!  
  
~*Tori*~ 


	5. Waiting

She slipped the dress over her synthetic flesh...it fit perfectly! Dorothy looked at herself in the mirror, and practiced putting on fake smiles. It was unfortunate that there was no feeling behind them, but Roger wouldn't be satisfied if she frowned the entire time.  
  
Dorothy had never worn shoes with heels on them before. As a matter of fact, she began to feel a bit awkward...wait, feel? No...that couldn't be...she was just thinking too much about it.   
  
How did things get so out of hand? All she wanted to do was repay him for the services he'd rendered...yet now she found herself going on a date with the man! A ::date::...that sounded so strange.  
  
Roger looked at himself in the mirror one last time, making sure that he didn't look any different...he didn't want to give anyone the wrong impression, no matter how right their assumptions were!  
  
He had a reputation as the most eligible bachelor in Paradigm City. It was something he took a lonely sort of pride in. How did things slip so far from his grasp? It wasn't supposed to happen like this. Dorothy was supposed to clean his house and help him on jobs, he wasn't supposed to fall for her.  
  
'DAMMIT!' he thought. 'I ADMITTED IT! I should know better! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!'  
  
Oh well...did it really matter? If you should close your eyes and see a face, it's bound to be just that...love...that's all it could be. So it was useless trying to ignore it. This elaborate surprise would be just what they needed. Work sometimes consumed their lives, this would be a good distraction.  
  
When Roger heard another female voice coming from Dorothy's bedroom, he groaned.   
  
"Ugh...Lalia..."  
  
"My God Dorothy," Lalia said excitedly. "Roger never did things like this for me! I don't know what you did to him, but whatever it was, keep doing it."  
  
"I know what you mean. This is extremely out of character for him. I wonder what it could be."  
  
"Well obviously he loves you very much. Otherwise he wouldn't have gone to all this trouble. By the way, you owe me a cup of tea. How about we go to that new coffee shop tomorrow afternoon? We'll do brunch."  
  
Dorothy's eyes seemed to brighten a bit.  
  
"I would like that very much."  
  
Roger was listening from the doorway. It hadn't really occurred to him until right that second, but Dorothy didn't have any friends. Could it be that the woman whom he'd thrown out two years ago was the person Dorothy was going to befriend? He guessed with an inner chuckle that Wayneright must have left out the ability to judge character when he put Dorothy together.  
  
Dorothy looked over and saw Roger in the doorway. She chose to ignore his presence, but an inner sense of warmth overwhelmed her senses.  
  
'Love?' she thought.  
  
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Sorry this took so long. I'm working on a sequel to Torn Between Angels and school has been a b****. I promise to try harder! REVIEWS PLEASE! ^_~  
  
~*Tori*~ 


	6. Dinner and Discoveries

Time hadn't gone fast enough for his liking, but Roger didn't care so much anymore now that he was looking at her walk down the stairs. The dress he purchased for Dorothy fit beautifully, and it flowed gently behind her. The lace in the back was silent as it descended with her.  
  
Roger looked fabulous! His suit held in all the right places. Dorothy couldn't help but wonder if she could blush because Roger blushed in return.   
  
He blinked in surprise, Roger could have sworn that Dorothy's cheeks turned a slightly deeper shade of red. It didn't matter...nothing did...everything would be perfect.  
  
As Dorothy reached the end of the stairs, Roger revealed from behind his back a single, red rose. Dorothy was surprised by its perfection as she took it into her hands. Roger noticed her eyes soften at the sight of the delicate flower, its tranquil beauty seemed to thrill her...he was proud...  
  
Much to Roger's dismay, Lalia followed closely behind with a camera in her hands.  
  
'Damn,' he thought. 'She always destroys the touching moments.'  
  
Roger figured his face must have reflected his thoughts because Lalia was giving him a dirty look.  
  
"Relax Roger!" Lalia said, her face turning into a satisfied grin. "I just wanted to snap a picture for the two of you."   
  
Dorothy placed herself at Roger's side and he put his arm around her delicately. The flash went off, and Roger quickly moved himself from the perfectly placed pose.  
  
"Ok, this would be your cue to leave Lalia." Roger said sarcastically.  
  
"Fine, whatever you say Roger." she said with a wink, proceeding to Dorothy's side. Lalia hugged her new friend and her eyes widened in spite of her as she got a feel of Dorothy's skin. She wanted to say something, but before she could, Dorothy said,  
  
"Thank you for all your help Lalia. I'd like very much to have that cup of coffee with you tomorrow."  
  
Lalia sighed.  
  
"Great," she said, her smile dim. "I'll see you at ten tomorrow morning then. Have fun." She walked out, looked over he shoulder and saw Roger kiss Dorothy's cheek.  
  
'How could I miss that?' Lalia thought as the elevator door closed.  
  
Dorothy slipped into the car and Roger closed the door for her. She wasn't used to getting this treatment before, but it was a date after all. It made Dorothy feel amazing. They pulled up to the restaurant within moments, and Dorothy felt herself shiver...she thought it odd but was too excited to pay any mind...  
  
They ordered and ate. Roger ordered a bottle of red wine. He ordered filet mignon as did she.   
  
"The wine," he told her. "Brings out the taste of the meat."  
  
Dorothy nodded in silence. He had forgotten again...she wasn't human...she couldn't taste...but despite facts, she ate and drank. When the food touched her tongue, however, she could have sworn she felt something. It was warm...it was comforting...it was incredible!   
  
"Roger," Dorothy said in between bites. "Why did you bring me out tonight?"  
  
Roger hadn't really thought about why he had taken Dorothy out. He just wanted to make her happy.   
  
"Because," he said with a smile. "I wanted to see your eyes light up for me like they do when you play the piano."  
  
And her eyes began to shine right at that moment.  
  
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YOU KNOW THE DRILL!  
  
E-MAIL AT NEOTORI7688@AOL.COM  
  
REVIEW  
  
THANKS!  
  
~*Tori*~ 


	7. Almost Lovers

A band began to play sweet jazz music and the dance floor of the restaurant began to fill up. Roger looked down at his watch, they still had an hour before they had to be at the theater. He stood and outstretched his hand. Without thinking, she took it and followed him to the dance floor.  
  
As they gently swayed back and forth, waves of insecurity pounded Roger's heart. He was terrified. In an attempt to redeem his faltering soul, he wanted to improve himself. Roger had suddenly begun to care about what Dorothy thought and said. If she wasn't pleased, he found that he wasn't either...that disturbed him.   
  
Roger had always considered himself a free thinker, but now he felt the need to think what she thought, do what she did, feel...he stopped himself in mid-thought as that o' so controversial word pushed its way into his self-conscious.   
  
Often Roger forgot that Dorothy was an android...a thing...made by the hands of man. But something told him not to buy the "machine not man" bit. Dorothy was too real, it was sometimes eerie when she got those looks on her face...like the one she had now...she glowed!  
  
Neither of them needed to speak at this moment...it was too perfect. If they spoke, Dorothy figured it might end up in a heated debate about some meaningless political issue. There were more important things. Dorothy knew that Roger's stubborn ways gave him a need to be right all the time, and it often ended in his irritated rants.  
  
A pair of eyes watched them from a table alone as they ignored the world. The woman who owned the eyes stood and walked gracefully from her seat in the direction of the dance floor. Her tight, pink dress went down to the floor with the exception of a slit on the left side that went all the way up her left thigh, and her cleavage gently bounced from the tube top as she walked. Her blonde hair was pin-straight until the ends, which came up in delicate, flawless curls.   
  
The men in the restaurant looked her up and down, ignoring the fact that her eyes never glanced back at them. The lady in pink stopped in front of a couple on the dance floor and the men strained to hear as she purred,  
  
"May I cut in?"  
  
Roger felt his stomach turn at the sound of her voice.   
  
"Angel," he said. "I don't think so. I have a date this evening."  
  
Dorothy lifted her head from it's welcome place on Roger's shoulder. Her rich, brown eyes entangled themselves in the sharp seas of blue that were Angel's eyes.   
  
"That's a shame. I was hoping you'd make time to dance with me. No matter!"  
  
Angel took a step back and scanned the room for a handsome man. Her eyes landed themselves on a random gentleman. She approached him seductively and said,  
  
"Would you do me the honor of a dance?"  
  
There seemed to be an air of sudden jealousy throughout the male population of the room as he accepted her offer, ignoring his protesting date. She led the way to the dance floor, and the man took her in his arms.   
  
"We haven't really been introduced, have we?" he said.  
  
"No," Angel spoke, her eyes shifting back and forth from Roger to her dance partner. "I don't believe we have."  
  
"I'm Tad Morgan. Who might you be?"  
  
She chuckled.  
  
"Angelina Sawyer. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Mr. Morgan."  
  
"No need for such formalities. You can call me Tad."  
  
When they had made a full rotation, Tad sniggered and made a wry face.  
  
"Looks like Paradigm's 'Top Negotiator' is living it up tonight."  
  
Angel's eyes widened with interest.  
  
"What do you know about Roger Smith?" she asked.  
  
"What do I know? I know for sure that the bastard has nearly put my investigation firm out of business!"  
  
Angel fell silent for a minute. Tad noticed her thought and asked her if she was all right.  
  
"You're such a gentleman." she said, running her hands on his arms seductively. "That kind of thing gets me all fired up!"  
  
She leaned forward to whisper in his ear,  
  
"Get rid of your lady friend and meet me in the men's bathroom."   
  
With that her hands found their way to his groin and she gave a quick squeeze before walking to the bathroom. As quick as he could, Tad got rid of his date and practically ran to join this new woman Angelina.   
  
He walked in and quickly slammed the door behind him, turning the lock so they would not be disturbed. There she sat on the counter next to the sink, her legs crossed, applying more pink lipstick to her perfect, pouty lips. She stood and walked over to him and gave his groin another squeeze.  
  
"Let's have some fun!" she said.  
  
He groaned as she pushed him back against the wall.   
  
"I like aggressive women."  
  
"And I like aggressive men, so show me what you're made of!"   
  
They began removing each other's clothing with growing urgency. Just as they came to their underwear, Tad stopped. He looked at her.  
  
"I don't want to hurt you Angelina."  
  
Angel gave a hearty laugh and said,  
  
"Don't worry babe, you won't hurt me!"  
  
He shook his head regardless and pushed her back. He put his clothes back on and she looked stunned by the rejection.  
  
"No one's ever refused me before Tad."  
  
"Well, I'm not the kind of guy who does one night stands. Why don't we try dinner first?"  
  
At this, Angel's heart melted.  
  
"You're not too busy?" she asked with an air of skepticism.  
  
"Not in the least, Ms. Sawyer." Tad said softly as he kissed her hand. "Shall we?"  
  
As they walked from the bathroom that almost became their place of passion, Angel's heart pounded within her.   
  
And she didn't notice at all that the negotiator had disappeared.  
  
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Oki...what do you think? I thought that was pretty good. As much as I despise Angel, no body ever lets her find true love, so why not give this a try? I find Angel's character fascinating. She's not easy, but she seems like she'll do anything for her job...whatever it is. E-mail me at NeoTori7688@aol.com and please leave lots of reviews! Thanks!  
  
~*Tori*~ 


	8. Soft Kisses

He took her hand as she got out of the car. Dorothy looked upon the enormous building with wonderment. The play was to begin in twenty minutes. Dorothy expected Roger to release her hand once she was standing, but to her astonishment, he didn't. He held her hand gently as they walked.   
  
When they reached the door of the theater, Roger handed the man at the door the tickets. They took their seats and the lights dimmed.  
  
As the scenes progressed, Dorothy and Roger found themselves cuddling closer and closer. By the end of the play, Roger's arm was resting comfortably on Dorothy's shoulder, and as the curtain closed, he was staring into her eyes. She felt lost in the dark spheres which were his eyes, and something within her mechanical mind told her it was ok to feel.   
  
By the time they looked away from one another, the theater was completely empty, the only light being the soft glow of the two stage lights that were still on.  
  
Dorothy cleared her throat, surprising Roger.  
  
"Does that make your throat feel any better?"  
  
Dorothy looked down.  
  
"I couldn't tell you Roger. I don't know what 'better' is."  
  
She tried to take a step back but Roger caught her gently by her shoulders.   
  
"I know what you mean, but can't we just accept that this might be better?"  
  
Roger leaned forward gripping tighter to Dorothy's shoulders. Just as their lips were about to touch, the door in the back of the theater flew open.   
  
"Hey! The theater's about to close, you gotta clear out right now!"  
  
Roger mumbled a curse under his breath as he wrapped the shall around Dorothy. On the way home, he was cooking up ideas in his head to get the moment right again.   
  
...The blonde stepped gracefully on to the dock. He was holding her hand like no man had before. Tad gently put a hand on her back and gave her a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"I had a great time tonight Angelina. I'm so glad I met you."  
  
Angel looked at him with a perplexed look.  
  
"I've never met a man like you before. You're either a hopeless romantic or completely insane."  
  
He chuckled.  
  
"Yes, insanity is definitely the word."  
  
Together they laughed and she put her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Thank you for stopping me...back there, I don't know what I..."  
  
"Don't worry about it Angelina. As much of a turn on as you are, I don't have sex with random women in bathrooms."  
  
"I'm not sure exactly what was going through my head Tad but, I have to say, I don't think there's going to be another man like you out there."   
  
"Well don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. How would you like to do this again sometime? Maybe you and I could catch a movie tomorrow night. What do you say?"  
  
"A movie would be terrific."  
  
"Where should I pick you up?"  
  
Angel's mind began racing...she couldn't tell him where she was staying, she'd reveal her true identity if she did.  
  
"Uh...well, I um...you know what? There's something I have to tell you right now."  
  
"Oh God Angelina, don't tell me you're married?"  
  
"Oh no! That's not it. Roger Smith...the negotiator?"  
  
"What about him?"  
  
"He's...my brother! Yup, yes, he's my brother. So you can pick me up at his mansion."  
  
Tad laughed.  
  
"Isn't that something? My business rival is your brother. I hope this won't effect you and I."  
  
"Don't worry it won't."  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow at seven."  
  
They both parted smiling to themselves.  
  
Angel stopped halfway into the road.  
  
"What the hell have I done?!?!?!"  
  
...Roger stepped back out of the car once he had pulled it into the underground garage. They walked into the elevator and went up the stairs to the living room. Dorothy turned and said,  
  
"Thank you for this Roger. It was quite enjoyable."  
  
Roger was troubled by the way her voice went right back to its monotone sound. It didn't sound this way while they were dancing when he was holding her in his arms.  
  
He leaned down and gently kissed her cheek. Like a child, Dorothy's eyes were clouded with uncertainty, and she turned around in silence and went into her bedroom.  
  
Roger sighed.  
  
'You'd think winning over an android would be easier than this.'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! I just got out of the mid-term hype. I hope you all still like this, and I will be continuing my other story very soon. Please leave reviews and e-mails at NeoTori7688@aol.com are always appreciated. Thanks!  
  
~*Tori*~ 


	9. Beyond the Window

The night crept on slowly as Dorothy reflected. She turned to look at the clock. It told her that is was three o' clock in the morning. And since the clock had never lied to her before, she assumed that Roger and Norman were probably fast asleep.  
  
Dorothy pinched the synthetic flesh on her arm, and there was no pain at all. Dorothy almost forgot she was an android when Roger was whirling her around the dance floor. He seemed so proud to be with her in front of all those jealous men, their dates snickering and gossiping in her direction. She had gotten dressed up and rouged her cheeks...for a moment she was not a doll.  
  
As they danced, Dorothy heard comments like, 'Who is she?' 'She looks so young.' 'I heard she is a professional dancer giving Smith lessons.'  
  
Dorothy found the dancing rumor amusing. She highly doubted Roger would willingly admit to a teacher of any kind that he couldn't dance. He would never hire a teacher! Dorothy, in that moment, also found it amusing that she could read Roger's mind with such little effort.  
  
Finding she had nothing better to do, Dorothy wandered from her bedroom and into the kitchen. She would often do this, sitting on the counter by the large window, which was above the sink, to look at the few passing cars and people that were still awake.  
  
Dr. Wayneright had always told Dorothy that nothing good wandered around after dark, but Dorothy disagreed as a young couple walked by. The young lady had a plastic tiara on that read Happy Birthday, and the young man had his arm around her. Dorothy couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but she could hear their laughter.  
  
The man leaned down and kissed the girl softly. It was short and simple, but it made Dorothy think. Roger had kissed her like that, only it wasn't on her lips. Did that mean he cared about her? Could Lalia have been right?  
  
Just as her thoughts began to carry her in that direction, she heard the sound of someone clearing their throat coming from the doorway of the kitchen. There stood Roger, all decked out in his black robe and gray slippers...the fluffy ones...  
  
"What are you doing up Roger?"  
  
He shrugged nonchalantly, but avoided eye contact with her.  
  
"I just couldn't sleep. Sometimes my thoughts get in the way."  
  
"Well, what were you thinking about? Maybe if you talk about your thoughts they will leave you alone."  
  
"I'm not good at talking about my thoughts. It's one of the only flaws I don't mind having. My thoughts are probably better off where they are."  
  
There was a moment of silence, and then Roger cleared his throat again.  
  
"Do you need a cough drop?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Why do you keep making that noise?"  
  
"Because it makes me feel better."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Why are you so curious? It's not like it will benefit you. After all..."  
  
Roger stopped himself mid-sentence. He was about to make a snide android comment. Just when they had come so far!  
  
DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!  
  
"Go on Roger...I know what you want to say."  
  
Dorothy's voice was so cold. He didn't know if she was doing it on purpose or not. He sighed and smiled.  
  
"I forgot what I was going to say."  
  
Dorothy thought to herself,  
  
'Smoooooooooooooothe.'  
  
"So tell me Dorothy, what do you find so interesting about the kitchen counter?"  
  
"It's not the counter that is interesting, Roger. There are so many things beyond that window that interest me. Do you see those two people?"  
  
Roger looked out the window as a young couple sat down on a bus stop bench in front of his mansion. The woman looked into the man's eyes, and they kissed.  
  
"What about them?"  
  
"What makes them love each other? What drives it? Is it just that they enjoy each other's company or that they were supposed to meet?"  
  
"Those are some questions that I'm afraid no one will be able to answer perfectly."  
  
"So does that mean no one ever figures it out?"  
  
"I suppose when you fall in love yourself it becomes more clear. But there are a lot of different opinions on the subject. Some people believe it's fate and others believe there is no such thing."  
  
"What do you believe Roger?"  
  
Nobody had ever asked him such a question. He let the question sink in for a moment, trying to find the right answer to give Dorothy. He didn't want to confuse her, but Roger assumed she'd be a little confused no matter what he said.  
  
"I believe that when two people meet, they find things in the other person that they enjoy; things they don't have themselves. And these things make them whole."  
  
"But do you believe in fate?"  
  
"No. I think it is the responsibility of people to live their lives according to their own script."  
  
Dorothy pondered these ideas. Roger then said,  
  
"Is this what you think about when you come to sit here in the ungodly hours of the morning?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, what do you believe Dorothy?"  
  
She wanted to give him a good answer, so she took a moment to think.  
  
"I believe someday I will make someone whole."  
  
The two outside the window got on their bus and left. Dorothy slid off the counter.  
  
"Sleep well, Roger."  
  
"You too."  
  
Dorothy turned around to look at him at the doorway.  
  
"You know I don't need to sleep. It's not necessary for me to function."  
  
"You should sleep anyway, Dorothy. It's nice to dream once in a while."  
  
With that, she turned and walked back to her bedroom.  
  
Dorothy looked at the large bed. The drawers that were placed at the wall next to the bed were dusty. She only had one dress, so they were not used. Dorothy never had an urge to look in them until now.  
  
She opened the bottom drawer. It was empty. The next was the same. The only drawer that had anything in it was the top drawer, the underwear drawer.  
  
A black and red nightgown and a picture of Roger and Lalia eating dinner were the only things in the drawer. In the picture, Roger was in a tuxedo, and Lalia wore a red silk dress with a plunging neckline.  
  
Dorothy suspected that Roger must have hated the dress because it wasn't black. Or were the rules different when Lalia was around?  
  
Dorothy picked up the nightgown. Under it was a matching robe. She held the nightgown up in front of her and it looked like it would fit. Dorothy slipped the black dress off and folded it neatly. She put it in the second drawer.  
  
'It might get wrinkled.' she thought.  
  
So Dorothy walked across the room to the closet, which she had also never opened. When she slid the door open, her eyes widened. Over two dozen stunning outfits hung, untouched and abandoned.  
  
Among them was the red dress from the picture, the only red piece of the clothing to be found. It looked even more beautiful up close.  
  
Dorothy found a hanger in the back of the closet and hung up her black dress. She put it in the back. With all of these clothes available to her, she wouldn't need to wear the black one every single day.  
  
Dorothy slipped on the black and red nightgown and it fit her beautifully. The nightgown was black until the top, which was adorned with red lace in a floral pattern. The spaghetti straps sat gracefully on her shoulders. She took the matching robe from the drawer and hung it over the end of her bed. The robe had long, dangling sleeves and a butterfly on the right side.  
  
Dorothy laced up the back of the nightgown and put the picture of Lalia and Roger out on the dresser, wiping the dust away. She slipped under the perfectly made covers, and closed her eyes. Dorothy silently prayed to any deity that was listening to give her a dream, and sleep overwhelmed her man-made senses.  
  
...The next morning Roger opened his eyes to find that he had only gotten five hours of sleep. It was seven o' clock and he couldn't fall back asleep, so he got up and took a quick shower.  
  
Roger got dressed, and after making sure every hair atop his head was in place, he stepped into the dining room for breakfast. To his surprise, however, Norman was waiting alone. Dorothy would usually help Norman prepare breakfast, but this morning her chair sat empty.  
  
"Norman, where's Dorothy?"  
  
"I went in to check on her this morning when she didn't come to help me with breakfast, and she was asleep sir."  
  
"Asleep?"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Her eyes were closed?"  
  
"Yes sir, they were indeed closed."  
  
"Was she above the covers or under them?"  
  
"Under sir."  
  
"::UNDER:: them?"  
  
"Yes sir. Under them."  
  
...Dorothy awoke gently. Her dreams slipped away, but it didn't matter. She had had them, that was all that mattered to her. Someone had finally listened to her, and it was the unnamed God.  
  
Dorothy then realized that she might have missed breakfast! She climbed out of bed and quickly made it. She grabbed the robe at the foot of her bed and tied it around her slender waist. Dorothy quickly combed her hair and walked out of her bedroom in the direction of the dining room.  
  
Roger heard Dorothy's door open and close and heard her footsteps. He looked at the floor as he shoved another fork-full of eggs into his mouth, and said through the tasty breakfast,  
  
"Well, good morning sleepy..."  
  
It was then that his eyes made contact with her feet...there was nothing covering them...she was barefoot...her toes were painted red. His least favorite color!  
  
Then he looked up and his jaw dropped! Norman tried not to stare, but it wasn't easy. Dorothy was wearing Lalia's nightgown, and it looked better on her than it ever did Roger's ex-girlfiend. She was wearing the nightgown that Lalia would wear when they would...  
  
...It was Roger's favorite...  
  
AND IT WAS ON DOROTHY!  
  
A million and one thoughts raced through Roger's mind, but only one made it to his mouth...  
  
"You look beautiful!"  
  
Dorothy lifted the right corner of her mouth in a flirty sort of way and said,  
  
"You're a louse, Roger Smith."  
  
She went to sit at her spot and the other end of the table. Roger got up and pulled out her chair for her. He had forgotten how heavy she was when he tried to push her back in, so with a little help from the deceivingly dainty lady in the chair, they got the job done.  
  
The phone rang, and Norman stepped out to answer it. Before Roger could get a word in about how much fun he had had with Dorothy the night before, Norman walked back in.  
  
"That was miss Lalia calling for you Dorothy."  
  
"Yes, I expected that. We're meeting for brunch at ten o' clock."  
  
"Well, she was calling to inform that she was in the elevator of the mansion and will be here any..."  
  
The bell rang.  
  
"...Moment..." Norman finished as he went to let her in.  
  
Lalia walked up the stairs with a little less bounce in her step than she usually had. She had been planning comfortable conversation ever since she had realized...  
  
When Lalia saw Dorothy all decked out in her nightgown, her jaw hit the floor. Dorothy was wearing her ::underwear:: and it looked STUNNING on her!  
  
It was just then that Roger realized why Lalia was looking at Dorothy with such contempt.  
  
"Oh, well, now I remember where I left that nightgown." Lalia said, looking a little hurt.  
  
Roger was about to say something, but Dorothy beat him to it.  
  
"I hope you don't mind Lalia. But you see, I had only one dress and one nightgown. I took them to the cleaners and I got them back all torn up. I went rummaging through my room and found some of your old things. I was hoping I could borrow them until I had a chance to buy new ones."  
  
Roger was speechless. Dorothy had just ::lied:: to Lalia...it was a good lie too! He didn't know she could do that.  
  
"Oh, well if that's the case I guess I don't mind. I had actually forgotten they were here. Why don't you just keep them? I haven't had them in two years, I guess I don't need them."  
  
"Thank you Lalia. That's very kind of you. I'll just get dressed and we'll be off."  
  
"Do you want my help Dorothy?"  
  
"That's ok, I'm sure I can handle it. I won't be a minute."  
  
"Take your time."  
  
When Dorothy's door clicked shut down the hall, the dining room became overwhelmed with awkward silence. Roger half expected a tumbleweed to make its way across the table.  
  
She finally spoke up.  
  
"So, I see Dorothy is really happy here."  
  
"She seems to be." Roger replied after a sip of coffee and a bite of his now cold eggs.  
  
"What was that whole thing last night?"  
  
"What thing?"  
  
"Oh come now Roger. You were romancing her!"  
  
"So what if I was?"  
  
Before Lalia could reply, Dorothy walked out of the bedroom. She was wearing a short, lavender skirt with a low cut blouse that impressively flattered her breasts. Roger would have criticized it for not being black, but was stunned into silence by Dorothy's shapely figure. He had never really seen it before when it was hidden beneath the dreary uniform he had forced her to wear.  
  
Lalia and Dorothy walked out with nothing more exchanged than a glance.  
  
HEY! I MISSED YOU GUYS! Life has been crazy. It's going to be another long while I'm afraid before the next chapter because I'm moving in three weeks, but I'll do my absolute best. Feel free to gimme reviews and to e-mail me directly at STAY TUUUUNED!  
  
Tori 


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